SummaryIn the small mining community of Appaloosa, a ruthless, powerful rancher named Randall Bragg has allowed his band of outlaws to run roughshod over the town. After the cold-blooded murder of Appaloosa's city marshal, Cole and Hitch are hired to bring the murderer to justice. (Warner Bros.)
SummaryIn the small mining community of Appaloosa, a ruthless, powerful rancher named Randall Bragg has allowed his band of outlaws to run roughshod over the town. After the cold-blooded murder of Appaloosa's city marshal, Cole and Hitch are hired to bring the murderer to justice. (Warner Bros.)
I thought this western was brilliant. Filmed at the correct "pace" and it immerses you right into the story the way it portrays the different characters of the town - a true western, this is how I imagined the west to be, also brilliant acting.
Appaloosa is one of my favorite westerns ever made (along with Unforgiven and Shane). The cinematography is beautiful, the acting is fantastic and the gun-play is exciting. It also has one of the best climactic quick-draws in movie history. from start to finish, Appaloosa is western perfection.
First and last, Appaloosa is the slow-but-sure story of the friendship between Virgil and Everett, one a man of action surprised by emotion, the other a man of emotion surprised by action.
It's good to spend time with a movie that takes its time. Granted, Harris doesn't advance the genre; instead he burrows into it, finds a home there, as one might retreat to musty library stacks, where old pleasures and treasures await.
A wild west movie, probably much closer to how it really was than the John Wayne type westerns. Every movie needs a great bad guy, and this one has it. But we also see the "hero" has his flaws as well. Renee Zellweger portrays the hero's love interest, flawed but lovable. Viggo Mortensen portrays the hero's faithful partner, and much of what we learn comes from their talks together.
A film that doesn't do anything really that different with the western genre, but maybe add a fem fatale character that men fight for and fight over. I kind of thought was the west really that slim pickings? Maybe for those type of unfeeling pragmatic gunslinger type of men it was? Ideal movie to watch on a lazy sunday afternoon for sure.
the flips and cheats and tricks..
Appaloosa Appaloosa is a character driven western thriller drama about two soldiers being hired by a small group of town in order to save it from bandits. Harris gets the theme and essense of the western genre completely and aptly projects it as an homage of his to those Eastwood classics. And Yes. A Big Yes. It is brimmed with slick one liners, gritty panache and competitive duels, everything that the fan anticipates, gets it on a large scale. The conversations are weaved in brilliantly among the characters that are introduced smoothly as the screenplay enfolds. The narrative is undeniably gripping and strong but unfortunately isn't as layered and thought provoking, in fact the only possible mind game it can and does play, is keeping the crisp alive through uncertainty on all the flips and cheats and tricks. The chemistry between the lead cast is palpable to the environment and well enough to fuel this western buddy cop tale. Mortensen gets a more hyped version but in a subtle manner along with a reserved Harris, competitive and challenging Irons and chirpy Zellweger. The conversations with Zellweger of both Mortensen and Harris's are equally electrifying to encounter. The adaptation by Harris and Knott is gripping and intriguing enough to keep the audience tangled in its dirty bubble. The execution by Harris is appreciative but nothing extraordinary to be in an awe of it; it works good for him, it works good for the audience. The whistle blowing dialogues, competitive arguments, Zellweger's sweet performance and the typical cowboy essence that it offers the viewers are the high points of the feature. Appaloosa works like a charm on context of its insanely rugged bubble but to explore beyond that is moot, for it is a whole field of disappointment and a narrow ideology.
Great acting, You cant denie that. The one huge problem of this film is that it lacks interest and its far too long, It made you feel like you were suffering just to get to any decent part in the film. The script could have been a lot better as well.